NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Monroe, TN
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Monroe, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 74 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 74
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
39 deaths in all
What the records show for Monroe
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Monroe; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 26 miles away. The record near Monroe begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 55% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Monroe. The highest rating among the 74 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on April 3, 1974, came within 15 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 10 people. Of the 74, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 40 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on February 6, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Monroe. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 56 times since 1961, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Monroe has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 339 Tennessee cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Monroe
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Monroe: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Monroe
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s15
- 2000s10
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5
- 1970s12(5 EF3+)
- 1960s1
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 16 mi | 28.4 mi | 10 / 51 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 15 mi | 38.4 mi | 10 / 113 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 17 mi | 18.8 mi | 7 / 150 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 8 mi | 11 mi | 5 / 6 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 4 mi | 9.4 mi | 3 / 120 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 4 mi | 8.6 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Feb 6, 2025 | EF2 | 19 mi | 21.92 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Feb 6, 2025 | EF2 | 23 mi | 4.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 13 mi | 6.94 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 21 mi | 3.7 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Apr 11, 2008 | EF2 | 22 mi | 8.69 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 11, 2008 | EF2 | 20 mi | 3.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 74, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Monroe
The Storm Prediction Center has 56 hail reports within 10 miles of Monroe since 1961, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on June 2, 1998. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Monroe
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Byrdstown, TN, 8 miles northeast of Monroe at 880 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 27°F. July and December are the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 54.6 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 94 nights a year. That 54.6 inches is more than at 43 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (35%). Livingston, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Livingston Radio Wliv, TN): 53.6 inches a year, 1.0 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 27 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Feb | 50 | 29 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Mar | 59 | 36 | 5.0 | 9 |
| Apr | 70 | 44 | 5.2 | 9 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 82 | 63 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Jul | 85 | 67 | 5.3 | 9 |
| Aug | 84 | 64 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Nov | 59 | 36 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Dec | 49 | 30 | 5.3 | 9 |
| Year | 67 | 46 | 54.6 | 92 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Byrdstown, TN (880 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Monroe
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 121 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Monroe: 106 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods, 3 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 13, 1997. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 73 have had fewer than Monroe.
June 26, 2009: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Monroe — $100,000 damage.
July 14, 2015: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Monroe — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Strong to severe winds associated with the rear flank downdraft of a supercell blew down numerous trees across southern Pickett County. Several trees were blown down on Hill Cemetary Road, and another tree fell and blocked Cherry Tree Lane near the Oak Grove Cemetary.”
July 20, 2023: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Monroe — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain started early in the morning in the Jamestown area, and training thunderstorms through the afternoon hours produced five to eight inches of rain which resulted in significant flash flooding.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Overton County, which includes Monroe, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Overton County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.3 million a year, the 72nd highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.0 million (41%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Monroe
- Byrdstown, TN7 mi
- Livingston, TN10 mi
- Jamestown, TN16 mi
- Celina, TN16 mi
- Albany, KY17 mi
- Clarkrange, TN22 mi
- Burkesville, KY22 mi
- Monterey, TN24 mi
- Cookeville, TN26 mi
- Gainesboro, TN27 mi
- Deer Lodge, TN29 mi
- Monticello, KY31 mi
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